At Bradley Burn Farm we are working to support nature in the following ways:
- by providing renewable heat. The farmhouse is heated with a log boiler, the holiday cottages with a woodchip boiler, the shop and café with a woodstove and 40 solar panels installed on the south facing side of the building.
- by direct drilling of crops. We do not plough the fields. This reduces fuel use, maximises carbon sequestration in the soil by not oxygenating organic matter and improves soil health and micro biology. This also reduces the use of pesticides and artificial fertiliser. We let the worms do the work to improve the health of the soil and the crops we grow.
- by mob grazing the cattle in an arable rotation. This increases carbon sequestration in the soil and reduces the use of artificial fertiliser.
- by using manure from the cattle shed and from other local farms to fertilise the crops.
- by growing legumes to reduce fertiliser use.
- by planting trees and hedges. We use native species and have an annual planting plan.
- by maintaining and repairing dry stone walls. They provide good homes for small mammals and invertebrates.
- by having an ongoing environmental Stewardship Scheme. This includes planting nectar mixes and wild bird feed crops, allowing hedges to grow into better habitats and coppicing and maintaining hedges to support wildlife.
- by hanging bird boxes and leaving tree offcuts on the ground, leaving long grass and encouraging flowering plants around the caravan park to create invertebrate habitats.
- by fencing livestock out of waterways to reduce diffuse pollution
- by recycling our own waste and providing the holiday cottages and caravan park with recycling bins. We reuse cardboard as cattle bedding.
- by continuing to lower the carbon footprint of our buildings with a modernisation programme to increasing insulation and energy efficiency.
- encouraging public enjoyment of the farm by waymarking and maintaining footpaths and establishing permissive access to other parts of the farm.
In the near future we are planning to install an electric vehicle charging point in the shop and café building carpark.
